Stress Levels Associated with Quality of Teamwork
Stress is abundant in many workplaces, and it has played a huge role in the development or hindrance in companies worldwide. Whether it’s employee relations, company demands, or something else entirely, stress can take many forms. Unfortunately, the impacts of high, negative stress levels can filter throughout the workplace, impacting those beyond the immediate situation.
It’s a modern reality that stressful situations arise in the workplace, and stress has already been linked to a range of negative health outcomes.
Researchers from Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Health System looked at the connection between chronic stress and amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), which is the most common type of MCI, the main feature of which is memory loss. The results were astonishing: For every 5 point increase in their Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) assessments (surveys designed to measure psychological stress), there was an average of 30% increase in risk for the participant to develop aMCI.
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And it doesn’t end there! Other studies are showing the wide implications for stress on a person’s well-being. While some results are physiological, such as aMCI, others are less tangible. For instance, the breakdown of team performance has also been linked to high stress levels. This is thought to be a direct result of the restriction and narrowing of attentional focus which infiltrates the team environment. As stress increases, so does the restriction of focus and, thus, teamwork.
Study: Does Stress Lead to a Loss of Team Perspective?
So what does this mean for your organisation? Leaders need to recognize the impacts that chronic stress can have on their employees and their company as a whole. While we can all conjure up a few ideas of what it takes to be a great leader, the fact of the matter is that, in this respect, the most effective leaders need stress management skills and strategies to effectively cope with the rise in stress levels among employees.
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We recently blogged about the impacts of meditation on stress reduction, but many managers still overlook the influences of meditation on leadership qualities. Check out these 5 ways that meditation can give leaders in today’s industry an edge <HERE>.
HSG offers stress management workshops to help your staff to reduce stress and build resiliency. Learn more or sign up for your workshop. HSG can also bring to help reduce stress, develop a calm mind and heighten awareness. Learn more, or sign up. We have created an ongoing corporate wellness program for many of our clients, of which our meditation classes are just one component. Please contact us to discuss how to design a customised corporate wellness program to suit your needs.
